Kingdom of Heaven
by moonfeather58
Summary: The Red Dragon or Cradle of Civilization has always been a land of myth and beauty. Within the Far East, out of betrayal and darkness, shall come the Son of Heaven and his Empress to rebirth the empire of eons past into something terrible. Cast out, the betrayed will travel far to escape his past, taking up a forgotten mantle and rule within the city that is forbidden.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes: I'm just going to say lack of motivation and real life suck for me at the moment. This is why I haven't updated anything and some of the reviews I have gotten of my work on fan fiction has gone towards me not wanting to write. Not sure how many times I can say this but if you read the premise of a story and don't like it, hit the bloody back button and don't message me or comment on the story. Find something else that suits your fancy if my stuff isn't interesting._

 _Due to a lack of muse currently for some stories such as Moon Fawn, plus my inability to keep up with several stories at once, I have decided to only focus on my Pokemon story, Parrot Design, and this new story which is titled Kingdom of Heaven and based on Belgrath's A Trip to Shangri la challenge. I have been doing some research on China and some other things for the story that I have accepted within the things that must be explored, ordering three books from Amazon today which should be here within the next week or two to help with, at least China and maybe give me a beginning understanding of Buddhism._

 _This chapter, not counting the challenge information, is eight and a half pages written in a notebook but only four pages typed up in Microsoft Word. I am rather interested in Asian countries and have been communicating with Belgrath on how far I can go with the story in terms of darkness as well as getting acceptance/confirmation for some ideas within my head. I have never been to Asia myself, but China is one place I would like to go. I'd also like to point out that I do not know Mandarin or Cantonese, though I am unsure if I will include actual Chinese words in here as I would need to use Google Translate and we all know Google Translate isn't the most reliable when translating to foreign languages. In case anyone asks, Harry and likewise Cho are going to be powerful but they will not become powerful overnight. It will take them time to become as powerful as Dumbledore, if not more and be through hard work and partly due to Harry putting in effort for his studies. Also, I haven't really written any romance stuff before and honestly don't like romance books but there will be romance in this. I will just be making the relationship slow like in real life, at least that is my hope._

 _The main pairing for this story will be Harry/Cho Chang though I am unsure at this time what other pairings will be. Perhaps a Neville/Luna pairing though I do have something in place for both Neville & Luna in the future, however this will be a few years story wise down the road. My goal is to complete this challenge and story and as I am doing research before writing chapters out, it may take a while as I would like to attempt to make it somewhat accurate historically. If anyone is interested, and wants a hint as a special surprise, you may find _**KOH Map** _on my deviantart page at stormwolves dot deviantart dot com (replace the dot with . obviously and remove the spaces.) Updating schedule for this story and Parrot Design, I cannot give you a definitive answer but I hope to have luck with updating both stories every week, or doing one update one week and another update another week. As I am writing this out on paper and then typing it up, it may be a while before getting chapters on here but I hope that everyone will enjoy the story._

* * *

 **Key:**

 _$word$=Parsletongue/Parslemagic_

 _:word:=spell_

 _ **Pairings:**_

 _Dark Harry/Cho=main pairing_

 _Other Pairings: TBD_

* * *

 _Challenge Info: A trip to Shangri la_

 _By: Belgrath_

 **Plot:** China one of the oldest civilizations on earth and perhaps the key to Harry's survival and happiness time to explore the kingdom under heaven

 **Rules**

Starts 4th year and goes through year 7

light grey dark or evil harry= _ **Dark**_

Harry must compete in the tournament

Harry must go to the Yule ball with cho

Harry must at some point visit wizarding China and learn their magic and culture

The Chinese must have a different form of doing magic than the west

 **Optional**

Hermione and Ron both betray Harry during the tournament= _ **accepted**_

(If dark) then harry must take over wizarding China somehow= _ **in a way**_

Harry and cho have a marriage contract= _ **not**_ _**accepted**_

Harry learns Buddhism and martial arts= _ **accepted**_

Harry is expelled during his trial= _ **accepted**_

 _Things in China that must be explored_

Traditional Chinese dragons

Buddhist monks

The great wall

The terracotta army

Shangri la

Concept of chi

The philosophy of yin and yang

Main pairing must be harry/cho

Anything else is up to the reader

* * *

 _ **One**_

"Hogwarts will play host to a competition that hasn't been held in years…the Triwizard Tournament!" Immediately murmurs broke out within the hall as students turned excitedly to each other as they began to talk about entering for their own houses, however everything went silent as they watched as Professor Dumbledore rose from his golden throne-like chair in the center of the staff table. He walked down the steps of the dais to stand next to a jeweled casket and waved his wand, revealing a heavy hewn-wooden goblet. "The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector... the Goblet of Fire. As a result of the tournament taking place, there will be no Quidditch this year."

"No!" Cries from all four houses, those most notably being the captains and team players of Hogwarts being the loudest of all, voicing their protest to this news. Seeing the disappointed faces, Professor Dumbledore raised his wand and fired off a few fireworks to get silence and the attention of the student body.

"Eternal glory! That's what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament, but to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. Hogwarts has the honor of being the host of the Triwizard Tournament. Delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive here on October thirtieth and the event will last all year. Dismissed," said Dumbledore. With those parting words, the students rose from their seats and began making their way back to their respective houses as the Headmaster returned to his own seat between Professor McGonagall and Professor Sinistra. As the student body filed out of the Great Hall, they began talking again; the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins splitting up to go down the lower corridors leading towards the kitchens and the dungeons while the Ravenclaws and Gyffindors walked towards the Grand Staircase and began ascending it as they followed their respective Prefects up to their houses where it was likely there would be talk of the tournament for the next several hours.

* * *

In the midst of the pride ascending to the seventh floor were the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger whom was Muggleborn, Pureblood Ronald Weasley and Half-Blood Harry Potter. "I can't believe this," said Hermione. "Bringing a tournament like that back. It was banned for a reason."

"What is the Triwizard Tournament anyway?" asked Harry whom had never heard of such an event before or of these other wizarding schools since entering the wizarding world though he realized now that he had been foolish. He had seen plenty of wizards from other countries at the Quidditch World Cup and should have realized that Hogwarts didn't house all the children in the wizarding world.

Hermione sighed. "Weren't you paying any attention to Professor Dumbledore Harry? The tournament is a competition involving the three magical schools of Europe; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. The tournament is designed to promote international relations and for the best of the best to represent their schools for a chance to win the Triwizard Cup which consists of a trio of tasks that tests the wizard's or witch's abilities but it was canceled due to the number of deaths in the previous tournaments. I don't understand why they're bringing it back after that."

"Where did you learn this?" asked Harry. "Ron did you know about this?"

"I've heard of it," said Ron, "though I'm surprised Hermione knows anything about it, being Muggleborn and all. Let me guess, you learned this from…"

"Hogwarts: A History?" put in Harry and Ron together.

"No. I learned about it from checking out a book from the library on magical games," said Hermione. "I wanted to understand why wizards are so obsessed with Quidditch and came across the Triwizard Tournament being mentioned there but didn't know how important the information would be," the bushy-haired brunette said. Seeing the confused looks on the faces of her friends, she rolled her eyes. "I checked the book out last year."

"Leave it to Hermione to remember information from a book she read last year," said Ron as Harry chuckled at his friend's memory.

Hermione huffed at her friends' teasing though was also pleased with the comment all the same for she knew it was true. Neither of her friends cared much for their studies; Ron only seemed to care for food and Quidditch while Harry excelled on the Quidditch Pitch and in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her raven-haired friend was mediocre at beast within his classes though she had to admit he was beating her in DADA. Sometimes she thought Ron's bad studying habits rubbed off on Harry but he never listened to her when she told them both to study and try harder in their classes. Neither Ron nor Hermione knew or bothered to inquire why Harry didn't put more effort into his homework or classes. It just showed that for being his best friends, they didn't know Harry like they thought. While Hermione might be forgiven for her ignorance, surely Ron would know something was going on since he and the Demons had rescued him during the summer of his second year from the Dursleys. Hermione didn't mind Harry's lacking progress in classes, it allowed her to be at the top of her classes and show purebloods like Malfoy she was more talented and better than those who had magic for generations. Wanting to be the best, to prove that she belonged at Hogwarts and was worthy of having magic, to be as good as Lily Potter…to be the _next_ Lily Potter.

Harry never spoke much of his childhood with anyone, not his friends nor his professors. He had tried in primary school and his teacher had disappeared over the weekend, resulting in his first-grade class getting a new teacher who had treated him horribly. After the beating he'd gotten in addition to being locked in his cupboard for the next two weekends, never again had he dared speak of what went on at home. His treatment at the hands of the Dursleys for thirteen years, the abuse if he performed better than Dudley in school, his desire not to lose Ron as a friend caused him not to put in the effort into his studies. Why would anyone at Hogwarts be any different? Professor McGonagall would likely brush him off as she had done in his first year though he sometimes felt that she was disappointed in him. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't believe a word he said and Snape…Snape would never believe him about anything that happened at home and just say he was arrogant like his father.

Lost in his thoughts, Harry automatically climbing up various staircases, no realizing that the Gryffindor's had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Balderdash," spoke the sixth-year prefect Eric Murley.

"Enter," said the Fat Lady, her portrait which had been repaired after being slashed by the escaped mass murderer Sirius Black, a man who was also Harry's godfather and innocent of his crimes. Not that anyone knew of it but for Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus and the traitor Pettigrew.

"Harry. HARRY! What's gotten into you mate? We need to hurry or else we'll get left out of the common room," said Ron.

Harry turned his gaze towards his first and best friend who was staring at him. "What? Oh, I'm fine Ron. Think I'm going to turn in. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure mate," said Ron as he followed Harry through the portrait hole. While Ron went to join the others in talking about the upcoming tournament, Harry made his way up to the fourth-year boy's dormitory. He headed to his trunk which was set at the foot of his four-poster bed like it was every year, a wooden stove in the center of the room to provide warmth, the same red curtains dangling from the five four-poster beds. It made him happy to be in the one place he considered home. Hogwarts would always be his real home since it was the first place he'd ever made friend, friends who weren't scared away by Dudley. If only he knew how wrong he would be and how easily said friends, that he thought he knew, would betray him.

That night, Harry lay in bed, looking up at the canopy above him. The curtains being drawn provided privacy and one of the first spells he'd made sure to learn was the silencing charm. It helped with the nightmares he often had, nightmares that he didn't tell anyone about for fear that they would give those who hated him ammunition to use against him or make him look weak as everyone seemed to think he needed to be strong and just like his parents. Even Sirius and Remus, two of his father's friends that he had met for the first time that he could remember the previous year, appeared to expect him to be at least like his father. His father, James Fleamont Potter, chaser and superb Quidditch player. A man who had been excellent in Transfiguration, a Marauder and apparently a prankster. A stag Animagus and best friend of his godfather. But what did he really know about his parents? All he knew was his father's wand and that he, Harry James Potter, was a superb flyer like his dad.

If he knew little of his father, then he knew next to nothing of his mother. He knew her wand, having been told the wands of his parents when he had gone to Ollivanders with Hagrid before his first school year and that he had his mother's eyes, but next to nothing of her personality, what she had excelled in, who her friends had been. Of course, he was forbidden from asking questions at home, not that the considered the Dursleys as his family or home. From the time he was able to talk, he had been punished for asking questions at home and that had extended into his school life as well, both before finding out he was a wizard and then after when he went to Hogwarts. Yet nobody noticed or questioned him about his home life, not why he didn't ask questions in class when he didn't understand something or even why he came to school in clothing that was three sizes too big for him though it was true that he changed into his Hogwarts robes on the train ride so only Hermione and Ron would have known about his clothing. He always ate so little at the beginning of the school year and ate a lot before heading home for the summer due to his stomach always being queasy from lack of food and the rich meals at Hogwarts for the Welcoming Feast always took some time for him to get used to after months of practically starving and at the end of the year during the Leaving Feast he would try to fill his body with as much food as he could as he couldn't be sure when his next meal would come.

Sure, some might say that he had it better than Muggles that were homeless, at least he had food and shelter as well as clothing on his back but he wasn't loved and he didn't receive medical care at the Dursleys. That had stopped when he had entered Hogwarts and he didn't remember ever having a checkup since arriving at Hogwarts, except for the times he had been injured at school and then been sent to the Hospital Wing. Surely one of his professors or even his friends would notice how he acted? Harry had read once that abused children sometimes acted out as a way to get attention, but at Hogwarts…at Hogwarts it was attributed to him being arrogant like his father in Professor Snape's words or behaving like a dead man he couldn't remember. He could forgive his godfather and Remus, they didn't know Harry long enough to know how he was treated at the Dursleys and his godfather was on the run, Harry never knew where his godfather was located as the man never said anything in their letters for fear of the letters being tracked. But Ron, Ron and his twin brothers had rescued him towards the end of the summer prior to his second year. They had seen the bars on his window that Uncle Vernon placed there. Why then had they not questioned him further, especially his supposed best mate?

Such thoughts made his head hurt and he wasn't sure why he had even been thinking of his life before Hogwarts. Footsteps sounded on the stairs along with the sound of excited voices coming towards his dorm room. Recognizing Dean and Ron's voices, he knew that if they saw him awake then they would want to continue talking about the tournament and get his opinion on it. Harry hadn't given it much thought truthfully. Sitting up, he grabbed his wand from his bedside table and pointed it at his drawn curtains. _:Muffliato,:_ he whispered, all sound vanishing with the charm cast. Setting his wand back on the table by his bed, he lay down and drew the curtains just as the door opened. But Harry Potter was already turning on his side and sinking into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author Notes: I'm sick. This hot spring and summer going immediately to cold autumn didn't give my body time to adjust and so I've been feeling lousy. Got a cough, congestion, runny stuffy nose...it sucks. I finally got this chapter complete though, been working on it since yesterday (November 25, 2017)._

 _You will not believe how hard it was for me to find out information concerning the layout of the House tables within the Great Hall. J.K. Rowling must have short-term memory or something because she kept changing the layout of the tables on me so I finally just went with Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor in that order from right to left with Gryffindor being a side table like in the Sorcerer's Stone book. I changed the arrival of the visiting delegates from Durmstrang & Beauxbatons but kept the scene from the movie where they do their little shows for the Hogwarts school. I did have to watch on Youtube about the foreign students arriving to see what exactly the girls from Beaxbatons were wearing in terms of colored uniforms and what they were releasing from their hands. I finally figured out, or at least am guessing, that they were releasing birds that turned into light. _

_I wrote a tiny bit From the Ashes out of boredom yesterday. So that is some, very slim, progress on that story though I will be concentrating on this one and Parrot Design...which I need to get around to working on. No wonder I don't have any fans of my stories, I never update regularly. Curse my imaginative mind with thousands of stories bouncing around in my head!_

 ** _As usual I don't own Harry Potter. Otherwise I would have killed off Ron and saved Sirius. All well, that's what fan fiction is for._**

 _This was fourteen pages written in my notebook. On Microsoft Word it was thirteen pages so close to the written length in my notebook. I had to change some things around, like an entire bloody paragraph for it to make sense. Did everyone have a good Thanksgiving-if you celebrate it anyway? Mine was alright, no drama thankfully. Anyway, I should quit with the author notes and post so hope you are enjoying it._

 _Oh...this story is going to be dark...and I mean...well I'll save it for the story. XD_

* * *

 _ **Key:**_

 _$word$ =Parsletongue/Parslemagic_

 _:word: =spell_

 _ **Pairings:**_

 _Dark Harry/Cho=Main Pairing_

 _Neville/Luna_

* * *

 _ **Two**_

The next two months flew by with talk of the Triwizard Tournament and classwork. It was the year before their Ordinary Wizarding Levels or O.W.L.s as Hermione constantly told Harry and Ron, really anyone who was unlucky enough to be cornered by the bushy-haired Muggleborn. Things were not all well between the Golden Trio though, one who felt he was being left in the dust when they had agreed to take easy classes last year and one who didn't want to share the limelight or risk losing her status as top student in their year. Harry, after attending a week of Divination classes, had gone to Professor McGonagall to change Divination to Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Already, he was learning more than he might have in Divination and Professor Babbling didn't end up trying to predict Harry's death.

Soon the day that the delegates from the other schools arrived, which saw all of Hogwarts outside on a chilly October evening, lined up in rows according to year. House lines were nonexistent in this moment as students and staff alike were not lions, badgers, eagles or snakes but were all representatives of Hogwarts, Britain's only magical school. The populace of Hogwarts issued quiet murmurs, but it was relatively silent as they waited for any signs of the other schools. The temperature dropped as the hours passed before there were signs of activity within the Black Lake. Little first-year, Dennis Creevy, was the first one to spot the lake beginning to bubble and shouted loudly, drawing attention to the lake and shouted, "Look! The lake!"

With Dennis's shout, heads turned towards the lake. It appeared as if the water within had reached the boiling point but not long after Dennis had cried out, a mast with crow's nest on top erupted out of the water. This was followed by an entirely wooden ship that bobbed on the lake's surface before it turned and began sailing towards the pier where the boathouse was, a long line of steps lined with lanterns at each of the five small turrets that led up the cliff Hogwarts sat on and led to the Viaduct Courtyard and Chamber of Reception. A painting of Percival Pratt hung on the entrance of a secret passage connecting the Grand Staircase to the boat house from the inside.

While the Durmstrang students began disembarking, the Hogwarts students looked towards the lake. Where was Beauxbatons going to be coming from? Some of the first-years were beginning to shiver from the October autumn air. Other students looked around the grounds, as if the French magical delegates would come from the forest or up out of the earth itself. The whinny of a horse from somewhere in the distance sparked murmurings as everyone began looking around.

"Up above!" shouted Padma Patil, a member of Ravenclaw House. The Indian girl's cry alerted the rest of the Hogwarts body to look up to the night sky where something was coming towards them.

"What is it?" asked Hannah Abbot.

"A bird?"

"An airplane?" questioned a Muggle-born student in Hufflepuff colors. The question caused some students to turn their gazes on the little first-year who blushed and fell silent.

"It's a flying pumpkin!" shouted little Dennis Creevy.

Dennis was close. It wasn't really a flying pumpkin but rather a flying carriage, a carriage that, as it got closer, was revealed to be pulled by large winged horses. Hagrid who was out ahead of the Hogwarts body had to duck s the carriage came in low and nearly hit him, the winged horses' legs nearly making contact with the Gamekeeper of Hogwarts.

"Well that's not something you see every day," commented Fred. George snorted but nodded in agreement.

The carriage landed just past Hagrid's hut. Dumbledore ushered the Hogwarts body back inside the school as the door of the carriage opened behind the students. As they began filing back into the warmth of the castle, Professor Flitwick snapped his fingers in frustration at not being able to see anything due to his part-Goblin heritage making him so short. Though only the Professors of Hogwarts and his family knew of his creature heritage. There was a lot of talk as everyone filed into the Great Hall and took their seats.

Professor Dumbledore stood and waited for silence to fall over the Great Hall. "Now may I introduce Madame Olympe Maxmine and the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

The doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal a group of twelve students wearing light blue clothing made of silk with their Headmistress behind them. As they entered the hall, the dozen delegates walked in with their hands behind their backs, only to begin putting on a show. They began to sigh while walking down between the House tables of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. One student did a series of backflips while the students split in two directions upon reaching the High Table. The acrobatic student bowed along with another student as Headmaster Dumbledore walking down to greet Madame Maxine

"Good evening Madame Maxine," Dumbledore said as he took the large woman's hand and kissed it.

"Professor Dumbleydore," said Madame Maxine.

As Madame Maxmine went to another table for the visiting school masters and judges upon the platform that the staff table rested upon, Professor Dumbledore turned to the student body. "Now, may I present the sons of Durmstrang Institute and their Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff!"

Once more the doors opened and in came a group of male students holding staffs that they stamped upon the stone floor. Sparks flew up form the floor as the staffs hit it before the visiting students from the north twirled them so quickly that all that could be seen was a blur. As the students rushed down between the tables of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, a few doing flips though one ran ahead and breathed out a fire dragon from his mouth. As this was done, Igor walked down the aisle along with another student, whispers immediately breaking out. Whispers of _"Krum"_ echoed throughout the Great Hall, some rising to see the famous Quidditch Player.

"Albus," greeted Igor as he came forward and hugged Dumbledore.

"Igor, old friend," said Dumbledore. As he extended an arm towards the second table for the visitors, another man stood up and walked to stand beside Dumbledore. The man had short grey hair with a neat parting and a narrow toothbrush moustache. His hair was almost unnaturally straight and in certain lighting he took on a skull-like appearance. This man looked around the Great Hall, the visiting students having seated themselves at the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables respectably.

"The Ministry has decided, after careful consideration, that for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen will be allowed to enter their name and compete in the tournament. This decision is final."

"No! That's not fair!" shouted Fred Weasley.

Other students also shouted their own complaints, most being under seventeen. The man, known to those whose parents worked within the British Ministry of Magic, as Barty Crouch Sr. went quiet at the commotion from the Hogwarts student body. "SILENCE!" roared Dumbledore. "Now, students will have until the start of the Halloween Feast to submit their names for selection. At the end of the Halloween Feast tomorrow, the Champions will be chosen. Now, if everyone from Hogwarts will stand and let us entertain our visitors with the best way we know how by signing the school song."

Some of the students and the staff alike groaned at the Headmaster's suggestion but stood. "Mistro please," said Dumbledore as he turned, waving his wand and a ribbon appeared with words of the school song on it to help guide the students in their singing.

" _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

 _Teach us something please,_

 _Whether we be old and bald,_

 _Or young with scabby knees._

 _Our heads could do with filling,_

 _With some interesting stuff,_

 _For now, they're bare and full of air,_

 _Dead flies and bits of stuff._

 _So, teach us things worth knowing_

 _Bring back what we've forgot,_

 _Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

 _And learn until our brains all rot."_

As the students and staff of Hogwarts sung, very few seemed to enjoy the song. The only students who seemed to enjoy the song were Harry, Hermione, and Vincent. None noticed that the students of the visiting schools appeared uncomfortable as the Hogwarts school song was sung. When the song was finished, and the students had retaken their seats, food appeared on the tables. Much of the food was normal for the Hogwarts students but some of it was foreign. "Ugh! What is this?" questioned Ron as he looked at a bowl of some strange food he hadn't seen before.

"Bouillabaisse," said Hermione.

"Bless you," said Ron.

"It's French. It's actually quite good."

"I'll pass," said Ron in disgust.

"Honestly Ronald," said Hermione as she took the soup ladle and took some of the seafood stew. "What about you Harry? Ever had this before?"

"I've never had any exotic foods before," said Harry. He was annoyed at Hermione's stupid question. She and Ron should know by now that the Dursleys would never go out of their way to take Harry anywhere. Instead of commenting on that though, he leaned forward to look into the pot. "I'll try some," he said. Harry had never eaten much fish at home but the few times he had cooked fish at the Dusrleys, it had smelled good. Of course, having a murderous godfather had helped during the summer before his fourth year. He spooned himself out some of the seafood stew.

Once Harry had filed his own bowl, he filled up a plate of different foods. He was starving due to having skipped lunch to work on a Herbology essay. Harry was attempting to do better in his classes this year, or at least his new electives of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Because he had not taken the electives last year, he was put into the third-year classes. It had been easy to catch up with him applying himself and not waiting until a month had gone by to switch. His mind flashed back to when Ron and Hermione had been mad for different reasons that he was no longer taking Divination. It had caused quite a row in Gryffindor Tower.

"Are you done with that?" A feminine voice caused Harry to blink and see one of the Beauxbatons students' at the Gryffindor table.

Huh?" questioned Ron stupidly. "Oh, sure. You can have it."

"Merci," said the French withch and she took the pot of seafood stew before making her way back to the Ravenclaw table.

"What?" questioned Ron again.

"It's French for thank you," said Hermione.

"Well, not everyone has money to go everywhere," said Ron.

Harry shifted uncomfortably where he was squished between Ron and Seamus. He hated when any mention of money was brought up. Although he didn't have any money in the Muggle world, he did in the wizarding world and it made him uncomfortable. He would have helped out the Weasleys by giving them money but knew they would never accept. Poor Harry didn't even know if he could transfer his money into British currency through Gringotts or how wizards lived in the Muggle world. How could he learn such things?

When dinner was complete, the tables vanished, and the Goblet of Fire was brought out again, having been put away before the delegates had arrived. Students began putting their names into the Goblet, including all of Durmstrang. The girl who had come asking about the seafood stew stood and put her name within the goblet to the applause of her friends. Harry had been out of it in that he had hadn't even noticed Dumbledore drawing an age line around the Goblet of Fire. Harry got up and left the Great Hall, making his way upstairs to the seventh floor and the common room, lost in thought.

* * *

Classes the next day went by in ablur for the students at Hogwarts. Everyone was excited, not only for the Halloween feast but also for the selection of champions for the Triwizard Tournament. Unbeknownst to anyone, Harry had not been joking when he had said he would enter if he could. He had used his invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map to get to the Great Hall where he carried a slip of paper with his name and a fake school on it. He'd come across something in his reading on how to bypass an ancient artifact. Something called a Confundus Charm. The only question was, did the Goblet have a mind to confuse?

The other question was how to bypass Dumbledore's age line. Harry had never cast a Confundus Charm before and knew the age line might not let him put his name into the goblet without consequences. What those consequences were, Harry didn't know. The only thing he could think of was to confound the goblet and then levitate the slip of parchment into the Goblet of Fire. To be safe, he had written his name on three other pieces of parchment. The idea seamed simple enough. If it worked, if it chose him, then it might be a chance to step out of his parents' shadows, particularly his father.

Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak and then puled out one of the slips of parchment from his pocket. Pulling out his wand from his pack pocket, he pointed it at the goblet and furrowed his brows in concentration of the first of two spells he desired to perform. _:Confundo:_ Harry whispered, taking care to pronounce each syllable correctly and putting hi magic into the spell, his hand moving in a opposite sided question mark. No light came from his wand, but then this wasn't a spell that had a light accompanying the spell. At first noting appeared to happen but then the goblet flashed a silver-white before returning to its normal appearance.

Had it worked? Harry set the slip of parchment on the flor in front of him, pointed his wand at it and spoke the second spell. _:Wingardium Leviosa.:_ Again, no light accompanied this charm as he cast it, the parchment levitating…floating…and to his eye level. He guided the parchment over the age line, holding his breath as it passed over the age. Nothing happened but he wouldn't count his chickens just yet.

Harry let out the breath he had been holding as he let go of the charm and the parchment dropped into the goblet. A smirk appeared on Harry's face as his name was accepted. Now, he just had to wait until the selection. Over the next several hours, he waited in silent anticipation, throwing himself into his homework in order to take his mind off of the upcoming selection. Finally, it was time.

"It is time we select our three champions. I would like to congratulate all of you who submitted your names and wish you luck. The contract between student and the goblet is magically binding. If you are chosen you stand alone. Once chosen, you are to proceed up to the Head Table and go through the door on my right where you will await further instructions."

The three schools watched the goblet with bated breath. Harry had burned the three spare pieces of parchment before going back to bed after returning to Gryffindor Tower where none had thankfully not noticed his absence. The flames of the goblet turned from blue to red and spat out a piece of charred parchment. Professor Dumbledore caught it in his hand and opened it. "The champion of Durmstrang is…Victor Krum!"

From the Slytherin table, Victor made a fist of victory before rising and slouching up to the Hogwarts Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore nodded and clapped a hand on Victor's arm, the Quidditch player nodding and disappearing into the adjoining antechamber. Moments after Victor had disappeared, the goblet spat out a second name. "The champion of Beauxbatons is Miss Fleur Delacour."

Some of the girls began crying as their names were not called but the one who stood from the Ravenclaw table was the same one from the evening before. Her silvery-blond hair flounced behind her as she made her way down the aisle and towards Headmaster Dumbledore. "Oh please," scoffed Hermione. Fleur had a hand clasped to her shoulder before disappearing through the same door as Victor had.

For a third time, the goblet spit out a name which the Headmaster caught in a wizened hand. "The champion for Hogwarts is…Cedric Diggory!" Screams echoed from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as Cedric rose from the Hufflepuff table up to the Headmaster. Cedric and Dumbeldore spoke quietly before Cedric followed his fellow champions into the antechamber. Harry felt disappointment. He had hoped his plan would work. "Now, we have our three champions. It is my hope that this is a chance for our schools to come together and learn from each other. For each champion, the chance of eternal glory awaits and also a chance at bringing honor to their school."

A hush fell over the crowd. It was so silent that a pin could be heard if dropped. Everyone was staring at the goblet. Professor Snape stood and began towards it, the flames beginning to change. Professor Dumbledore turned and stared at it in shock, just as the entire hall was doing, before heading towards it. The flames turned pink and swirled within the goblet before spitting out a _fourth_ name. Harry smiled to himself as Dumbledore caught the parchment and read the name to himself before looking around the hall and shouting out the name. But Harry was already rising from his seat and whispers started. "HARRY POTTER!"


	3. Chapter 3

_Author Notes: I was meaning to get this chapter up yesterday. Only, I didn't type everything out as I wrote like I did with the second chapter. So, I might end up getting out chapter five today possibly as well. It's 1:11 AM here where I live as I've taken to writing out the next chapter after getting each chapter posted._

 _I realize this is a slow romance thing building up. But I am not good with romance and would like to flesh out the characters, especially with this being an unusual pairing for me to write about and there not being much information on Cho Chang. I hope I have kept Professor Snape in character with his usually snarky self. I would, furthermore, like to say that Ron and Hermione will not be making their way back into Harry's graces at all._

 _On a side note, I've gotten some more pictures up for my lion king book, Honor of Blood. Pictures are located on my deviantart account by typing in stormwolves dot deviantart dot com into your search engine's URL bar (obviously without the spaces and the word dot). Hope you all enjoy the story._

 _This story was ten and a half pages in the notebook, six pages in Microsoft Word. A short chapter but a necessary chapter. It begins a potential friendship between Cho & Harry as well as being close to the last straw for Harry. Professor Sprout's part is canon...she did distance herself from Harry in fourth year due to thinking Harry was stealing the limelight from Cedric. _

_Any suggestions for Cho Chang's wand? There isn't any information on it but I have an idea for Harry's new wand which he will receive in Year 5 at his expulsion._

 _Also, I realize that this story might be "taking forever" but you guys and gals will just have to wait. Trust me, with how dark my mind is and what I'm researching for this story...you'll be glad it's taking a long time to get through Year 4. XD_

* * *

 _ **Three**_

He was alone again. Just as he had been during his second year with the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. Today found Harry sitting by the Black Lake. As a champion, he didn't have to attend classes at all, but he was going to anyway. There wasn't any reason to not apply himself in his classes, especially given the entire house of lions had turned against him. Well, everyone except shy Neville Longbottom. Even his Head of House, Professor McGonagall seemed to have turned against him. Was it so bad to want to step out of his parents' shadows? To step outside of a title he didn't want, to do something that would make a name for himself outside of his stupid name?

Harry was only glad that he had not been removed from Ancient Runes and Arithmancy after he had been labeled the fourth champion. He would take advantage of these classes while he could in the event that they were mysteriously taken from him. Harry's peace was not to last though as Ron and Hermione came up to him with their bookbags slung over their shoulders. It seemed they had just come from one of their classes. Harry sighed and looked away from the water as his friends came walking across the lawn towards him. As they came closer, Harry got to his feet and he was able to see that they were covered in dirt, making Harry guess they were coming from Herbology.

"Harry James Potter! Why weren't you in class?!"

Harry winched at Hermione's grating voice on his ears. It reminded him of Mrs. Weasley's voice though he had never admitted it to anyone. "The champions don't have to go to classes or take the end of the year exams," Harry said. As expected, Hermione's eyes narrowed while Ron was looking at him with contempt and his usual jealousy. Harry didn't understand why Ron was jealous whenever Harry did something better than him. Harry had only signed up Divination and Care of Magical Creatures as Ron had done so, and they were easy classes. "So, bloody Potter gets favorable treatment again?" questioned Ron.

Harry was honestly shocked by how Ron was behaving towards hi. He, of course, hadn't seen the look of jealousy on Ron's face as Harry's name was called by their esteemed Headmaster the evening before. Harry had gotten his lessons plans from the majority of his Professors except of course Professor Snape who would probably have given him a snide comment and of course Professor Sprout. "Ron, don't be like that."

"Don't be like what? Like a side wheel?"

"Don't act jealous. I would give up all my gold to have parents that were still alive. I'd give anything to have a family like you have."

His friends stared at him in silence and Harry couldn't help shifting uneasily on his feet. The silence seemed to stretch on and in those silent moments, he saw a crowd had gathered, no doubt attracted by Hermione's earlier shout. Contrary to what everyone thought, Harry did not like being the center of attention. Harry was surprised to see Neville step up to the raven-haired boy's side. "Neville?"

"Harry, you missed a great lesson," Neville said enthusiastically, bringing a smile from the bespectacled boy. Though Harry hadn't really interacted with his other dorm mates, in some ways Neville reminded him of himself.

"You'll have to tell me about what I missed then," said Harry. Neville nodded with a bright smile on his face that had Harry's surprise only deepening. Harry couldn't remember Neville ever being happy before, but he hadn't taken the time to get to know his other dorm mates. Perhaps he ought to try to make new friends as well. He would need these new friends soon.

"You always get everything!" Ron shouted in anger and frustration. "You got a broom in first year and a spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team! Everyone likes you!"

"Not everyone likes me, or have you forgotten about second year?" Harry questioned. "Professor Snape hates my guts and has since I stepped foot in this school. Every year my life is put in danger. I didn't ask to be given a broom and put on the Quidditch team," he said.

"Oh, don't be stupid Harry!" Hermione shouted, missing the way Harry's eyes narrowed at being called stupid. "I may not agree with Quidditch, but I have to admit you are an excellent flyer like your father. But, just because you are champion doesn't mean you can skip your classes."

"Did you really do it Harry? Did you put your name in the goblet?" Ron questioned.

Harry looked around at everyone looking at him in anticipation. Students of every house, plus a few of their guests were also watching. "For your information Hermione, I do plan on attending all m classes. Though I would appreciate you not getting in my business. You are not my mother. And yes, I did put my name in the goblet."

A collective hush fell over the crowd before Hermione marched forward. A loud smack rang out as Harry's face whipped to the right, his glasses falling off his nose. Gasps rang out as Hermione stood there, her hand raised before her. "Harry, oh Harry I'm…"

"Don't!" Harry growled out. "Don't pretend you are sorry Granger. You've been behaving weird ever since you found out I'd dropped Divination. Why? Is it because you can't bear for anyone else to be in the same league as you academic wise? What are you trying to prove Hermione?"

"I'm trying to prove that I belong here! I have to work twice as hard as anyone else to prove that Muggleborns are just as good as purebloods since we're treated like scum within this pathetic world!"

"Newsflash Hermione but you are not the only Muggleborn here. I didn't know anything upon coming to this world. I know nothing about my heritage or about…never mind." He didn't see Neville's concerned look sent his way as he crouched down to begin looking for his glasses that had been knocked off when Hermione had slapped him. He began fumbling around for them when a sound of something breaking met Harry's ears. Something hit the ground and then there was a commanding and the sound of hurried footsteps.

"What is going on here?" spoke a silky voice and the crowd instantly parted as Professor Snape appeared among the student body. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Fighting again? So exceedingly like your father."

Harry looked up but he could only make out a blurry shape before him. However, he was able to hear the voice of his most hated professor and internally groaned. Just the person he wanted to see. Not that he could see anything at the moment. "Professor," said Neville hesitantly. "Professor, Harry didn't do anything. It...Ron and Hermione began to argue with Harry over last night and Hermione slapped him.

"Did I ask for your opinion Mr. Longbottom? That will be five points from Gryffindor."

Neville was too frightened to contradict his Potions professor. Those who knew of Neville's fear of the professor were surprised that the shy and clumsy Gryffindor had spoken up at all. Ron got up from the ground where Neville had pushed him, something that Harry was unaware of.

"Neville pushed Ron, Professor" said Hermione without being asked. "We were questioning Harry about why he has changed but I think we have a right to know as we are his…"

"I don't believe Mr. Potter's business is any of your concern Miss Granger. Perhaps you should stop thinking the world revolves around you. That will be five points from Gryffindor. Now be quiet. Mr. Weasley quit laying about and Mr. Potter I suggest you find something else to do besides sitting by the lake and wasting time."

"I counter the points against Mr. Lontbottom," spoke Professor Flitwick as he came walking between the crowd of students, Miss Chang at his side. "Thank you Miss Chang," Professor Flitwick said. "Five points each from Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."

"For what?!" Hermione shouted indignantly. Many turned to look at the bossy Gryffindor.

"Assaulting another student," said Flitwick. Now, where are Mr. Potter's glasses?"

"The red-haired boy stepped on them Professor Flitwick," spoke up the same Hufflepuff student from October thirtieth, the same firstie who had said Beauxbatons carriage was an airplane. The young student had been asked by some of the purebloods in his house to explain what an airplane was.

"Thank you Mr. Hawthorn," said Professor Flitwick. "Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley will serve detention this coming Friday and Saturday. Miss Granger, you will report to my office on Friday and Saturday at 7PM. Mr. Weasley, you may report to…"

"My office at seven," said Professor Snape. If his points were being rescinded, then he could at least make one of Potter's sidekicks suffer.

"That's not fair!" Ron shouted. "You can't give us detention when Harry isn't even going to class!"

"Furthermore," I will also be writing home to your parents Mr. Weasley for the broken glasses and your parents might be paying for a new pair. And yes, Miss Granger, I will be contacting your parents as well and this will go on your permanent record."

Hermione huffed and stormed off, Ron hurrying after her. "What are you all still doing here? Get out of my sight and go to your next classes or your dorms immediately." Students began scattering for the castle or to return to their temporary homes. In the case of Durmstrang it meant returning to their ship and for Beauxbatons, returning to their carriage near Hagrid's hut. Snape then left.

"Harry are you alright?" questioned Neville.

"My glasses," moaned Harry as he searched the ground in an attempt to recover his broken glasses. Without them Harry could hardly see. Neville knealt down and helped Harry up while Cho spotted Harry's glasses and picked them up, bringing them over to Professor Flitwick. It appeared that after Ron had stepped on them, they had been stepped on at least twice more. In the commotion, it had easily been missed.

"Oh dear," said Professor Flitwick. He sighed and didn't attempt to repair the glasses at all as they were broken in several places. Years of being punched repeatedly by his cousin Dudley and now them being stepped on multiple times during the second incident between the Golden Trio had created too much stress on the old glasses that Harry had worn for the past several years. Harry had never complained but the glasses had given him headaches. He had known the Dursleys wouldn't do anything about getting him his new glasses though so hadn't even brought it up.

"What's wrong?" questioned Harry, flinching slightly as Neville moved to help him up.

"I'm afraid Mr. Potter that there is no way to repair your glasses. They seem to be broken beyond repair."

"But, but what about my classes? The tournament?"

"Not to worry Mr. Potter. I can go with you to Diagon Alley to see about getting new glasses or maybe getting your eyes fixed. Mr. Longbottom, if you could come with me," said Professor Flitwick. "Miss Chang, if you could please help Mr. Potter back to his dormitory and help gather his things?"

"Professor!" Harry shouted.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"When do you think we'll be able to go to Diagon Alley?"

"Hopefully this Saturday Mr. Potter. Perhaps sooner if I can arrange it."

Harry thanked Professor Flitwick, watching the blurry shapes of his Charm Professor and Neville heading off, leaving Harry alone with Cho. Harry was speechless at this turn of events. Since seeing Cho at the Quidditch World Cup during the summer, he had been having feelings of some sort towards her. He knew she was an eagle and on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as a seeker. She was a damn good flier as well in Harry's opinion. Or perhaps his crush on her had started the year before in his third year. The third thing he knew about her was that she was a year above him.

"Potter, I'm sorry about your glasses, Cho said, unsure what to say.

"Thanks," said Hrary. He sighed and removed the red and white gold scarf from his neck before carefully taking the broken pieces of his glasses and placing them in his scarf, placing the bundle in his bookbag after tying the scarf. He wasn't sure if he would need his broken glasses as proof that Ron had broken them. He knew the Weasleys didn't have a lot of money, but he was too upset with Ron to care at the moment. He couldn't believe that Hermione had slapped him either. Even Professor Sprout, who had been kind to him, was distancing herself from him and being cold. He couldn't understand why.

"Potter? Potter?"

"What?" Harry questioned in confusion at Cho's voice.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" Cho questioned. Concern was in the fifth-year's eyes though Harry couldn't see much. Strange that another student would change a word yet have almost the same phrase as in the Muggle world. "Oh, sure. Can you help me sit down? I can't see well and don't want to fall in the lake."

"Not a problem," said Cho. She placed a hand on Harry's arm and led him back to the lake where she helped him to sit down. She then went to get his bookbag. Setting it beside Harry, she sat down next to him. "Say, did you really put your name in the goblet?" she questioned, wanting to know if the rumors were true. Rumors that had been going around since Harry's name had come out of the goblet two nights ago.

Harry sighed. It seemed he was going to get this question a lot but he couldn't find it in himself to be mad at Cho like had been with Ron and Hermione. Both his friends refused to give him a chance to explaine his reasons for entering his name in the tournament. Ron just walked off whenever Harry tried approaching the red-head and Hermione took the chance to scold him for his stupidity. What would Cho think of him when he told her? Why did he care what she thought? It wasn't like they knew each other. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes. It is why I am asking though I don't understand it. So, I thought I would ask from the boy in question myself. Then I know what is true and what is false."

"You speak the words of Muggles," Harry said without thinking. "Oh, Merlin is just the wizard equivalent of _Oh God_. Sickle for your thoughts is _just penny for your thoughts_ and I still don't know what the latter saying means."

Cho's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't know anything about Muggles and didn't realize Harry didn't know anything about the wizarding world. His information about the phrases wizards took for granted as being from Muggles with a couple of words changed made her stare at him in silence for some minutes before she began laughing. "Really? I didn't know that. But, what about my earlier question Mr. Potter?"

"Harry."

"What?"

"My friends call me Harry."


	4. Chapter 4

_Authors Notes: Still sick but getting better._

 _I imagine people are going to question why this chapter hasn't been uploaded in three days. I have been working on this but had a hard time deciding whether to have the Twins betray Harry along with the rest of his family or have them remain on his side. I attempted to look up some stories with the twins betraying Harry but I couldn't really find any stories where the twins betrayed Harry...they usually seem to be on Harry's side when the rest of the Weasley clan betrays Harry. In the end, I decided to go with fanon and keep the Twins loyal to Harry._

 _I also had some issues with Hermione and trying to figure out how she would betray Harry without say offing Hedwig or breaking his wand. I decided her assaulting him would count as her betrayal as well as having her use Ron's words about Harry not having any family which I believe was canon in like the seventh book or something._

 _This chapter was 10 1/4 pages long in my notebook, only 5 pages long in Microsoft Word._

 _I still need suggestions for Cho's wand. Core, Wood, Length, and Flexibility. XD I'm going to go with something different here concerning the Potter's will than what other fan fiction writers have done, what I have done in the past with my other works on here._

 _Oh yes...Ignatius Tuft...this is a canon character who was Minister of Magic from 1959 to 1962. I found it on the Ministers for Magic page on Pottermore. Umm...just put in Minister of Magic into Google and click on Ministers for Magic-Pottermore, fourth link down on the search results. I thought that with Grindewald's war and World War 2 coinciding at the same time, that something might have been set up for all the wizarding children that became orphans as a result of World War 2. I mean...this is Britain after all. Or was that only in the Chronicles of Narnia that children were sent away to the countryside to escape the bombings of Hitler and the Axis Powers? Hmm...I need to read up more on WW2. Anyway...on with the story!_

* * *

 _ **Four**_

Due to the unfortunate accident with his glasses, Harry was unable to attend his classes which angered the fourth-year. Math had been a subject he had been good at in primary school. Arithmancy was kind of like math, only being the studies of magical properties in numbers. Professor Vector was a strict professor, piling a lot of homework on third-years and above. He had been disappointed though to learn that Arithmancy was kind of like divination with numbers as well. His mind had flashed back to his third year when Professor Trelawney, that old fraud, had predicted his death every class session he had been in. He couldn't believe that he had stuck out the class, let alone signed up for it in the first place.

Neville came into the common room to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione in another argument. The shy boy sighed and went to take his bag up to the fifth-year boy's dormitory. As he went up the stairs, he could hear Hermione, again seeming to shout at Harry. "That's going on my record! How could you Harry?"

"It's your own fault for hitting me Hermione. You should have thought about your record before committing assault. I though you two were my friends."

"Why did you do it Potter? Couldn't let someone else have the limelight for once? Had to take it all for yourself as usual? What about ditching me in Divination? We were supposed to take the easy classes, so we wouldn't be like Hermione and had more work. Now, you are turning into her."

"Harry! How did you manage to pull off that impressive act of rebellion when we couldn't manage to bypass Dumbledore's age line?" Fred questioned.

"I didn't ask for this title or this fame Ron. I would be happy without this pathetic title this society has thrust upon me for something I probably didn't do in the first place. As for why I am taking Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, it is because I didn't want to go through another year of Professor Trelawney predicting my death and thought I could do something more worthwhile."

"What do you mean by worthwhile?" questioned Ron. "Come on, Harry. I'm sure McGonagall will put you back in Divination if you talk to her."

"I don't believe that Divination can be taught. The only reason I took Divination was because you were taking it. But, I see now that the subject was a waste of time. Ron, I don't want to go back to Divination. I like my electives, even if Arithmancy is like divination with numbers." He turned to the twins. "Sorry boys but a magician never reveals their secrets."

"We understand Harry. Just be careful out there with the other champions. They've got three years of experience over you."

"Thanks George."

"No problem Harry."

"Harry, don't be ridiculous. I know you're just acting out for attention," said Hermione.

The twins frowned but Harry stepped closer to Hermione's blurry form, following her voice. "Hermione, you apparently know nothing about me. Both of you are supposed to be my friends but instead you are judging me without cause. Face, it Hermione. You will never be like my mother."

Everyone was staring at him. Hermione, who saw herself as right, was unknowingly like Lily Potter-Evans. This information was unknown to Harry, just like his father's true actions were unknown to him. Hermione, just like Lily, hadn't accepted everything about the wizarding world. Unlike Hermione, Lily had a magical friend in one Severus Snape. Such things would remain unknown to him, were unknown to him, until he found someone to tell or show him what his parents were like.

There were few witches, usually Muggleborns, who liked to pretend they would be the next Rowena Ravenclaw herself or wizards who wanted to be like Godric Gryffindor. Unfortunately, there were those Muggleborns, new to a world that was trapped in at least the Victorian era…if not longer…and been brought up in the modern comfortable and luxurious era, were often not understanding of traditions and customs and thus railed against them. Such a thing was hardly their fault, after all, the Muggles and Britain's magical populace were separated and no contact was had until their tenth or eleventh birthday…well it was mainly the fault of the British Ministry of Magic and perhaps the laws of bigoted purebloods.

"You don't know what it is like to be a Muggleborn in a world where…"

"And you have no idea what I go through here. Nobody cares about your troubles if you don't care about the society you live in…have been blessed to live in."

"Did you use the cloak Harry? Is that you got across the age line? Come on. You can tell me."

Harry frowned both at Ron's bringing up his invisibility cloak and his utter stupidity. "The cloak couldn't have gotten me over Dumbledore's age line," said Harry. He was beginning to think he had been foolish and Draco had been right about who was better to befriend. But, he reminded himself, he would probably have been killed or sold off to Voldemort or one of the Death Eater families. He wouldn't have had any chance at continuing school and might have ended up in a worse fate than the Dursleys.

"What cloak?" questioned Dean.

"It's nothing," said Harry as he gave Ron a glare.

Harry didn't want to share that he had a couple heirlooms from his father, these being the invisibility cloak from his father that he'd received at Christmas in his first year and the map he'd been given by the twins in his third year, something that was his by birthright, given his father and godfather had created the map along with the traitor of a rat and the simpering dog that called himself friend of Harry's family. Still, if Remus were a friend of his family, then why hadn't he bothered to try to find the Potter scion before Harry had started Hogwarts? Even Sirius, now that he was thinking about it, had left him and possibly betrayed his parents. He frowned as Hermione made her last mistake.

"I'm determined to make the world better for my kind and my parents. The wizarding world has to be brought into the twentieth century. I want to make my parents proud."

Harry sighed. "I try to make my family proud of me as well," he said. It was true. He had been trying for a decade to make his parents, his family proud. If he didn't count his early years, then it was for the past nine.

"Oh please. You don't even have a family."

Silence. Once more, another hush fell over the crowd. People were now staring at Hermione in shock and disbelief though Harry didn't know whether it was because of Hermione's continued complaints about the magical world or what she had said about him not having a family. Neville, who had just come back downstairs asked what was wrong and was told by a sixth-year girl about what had transpired. The twins were now part of those glaring at Hermione who, for once, seemed to realize she had messed up again.

"Are you calling me stupid?" questioned Ron.

"You're certainly acting like it," said Harry. "You're behaving really stupid right now. Are you siding with Hermione?"

"Yeah, that's me. Your stupid friend. I choose Hermione."

Harry's face twisted into a grimace at Ron's declaration that he chose Hermione. But, it seemed that Ron's jealousy had made up the red-head's mind. "If that is the way you both feel, then I am done with you both. No. No more words Granger. If you aren't going to support me, then you are against me. That goes for all of you." After speaking, he headed up to his dorm room, excusing himself from the common room and leaving mutterings in his wake.

* * *

By the time the weekend rolled around, everyone knew that Harry had put his name in the goblet on purpose. It as just like his second year, but it seemed to be ten times worse. Since breaking it off with Ron and Hermione, and of course everyone knew that the Golden Trio was no more; this gave Harry time to find new friends, friends that appreciated him. Among them were Neville, an odd-looking girl a year below them, named Luna P. Lovegood who was in Ravenclaw, and Cho Chang. The latter pleased him as he had a crush on the eagle. One thing that displeased Harry was to learn that Luna was often bullied by her housemates. To top it off, Cho was one of those who took part in bullying his friend Luna. The bullying included taking things from Luna and hiding them. It put Harry in an awkward position. He wanted to be friends with Cho, maybe more, but he didn't want to be friends with a bully.

Harry and Neville were in the Great Hall eating breakfast when Professor Flitwick came up to them. Neville nudged Harry. "Ah there you two are. Morning Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom. Are you boys done with breakfast?"

"Good morning Professor," chorused Harry and Neville.

"We're almost done but where are we going Professor?" questioned Harry.

"Do you not remember Mr. Potter that I said we would go to Diagon Alley to see about getting some new glasses?"

"Really Professor?" Harry questioned. "That would be great!" Finally, he would be getting new glasses! Maybe they would help with his headaches and perhaps make his vision better. "Nev, are you going to Diagon Alley as well?"

"I am," said Neville. "Someone has to keep you from bumping into things. Besides, Professor Flitwick talked to Gran and she allowed me to go to go with the Professor and get a new wand. I'm using my dad's wand and Professor Flitwick thinks that might be why I'm a horrible excuse of a wizard. It took a lot of convincing though. Gran…she's always saying how I'm not like my father. Hardly comments on my mother."

Harry frowned at what he was hearing. The two boys were alive in some ways. Even Luna had no mother, but her father was apparently a nutcase as other saw Luna nad her father. Though Luna still had a parent, he wasn't much of one from what Luna said. Before they could go, the Headmaster came up to the three.

"Filius! Where are you taking Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom?"

"Headmaster. I am taking Mr. Potter to get some glasses and Mr. Longbottom a new wand."

"Students are not allowed off the school grounds unless it is for the holidays and they sign up to leave or during the summer. So, I am afraid the boys cannot go."

"I have already spoken to Madam Longottom and gotten permission from her to leave Hogwarts after much persuasion on the matter."

Dumbeldore's eyes narrowed at what he was hearing. Dowager Longbottom was a formidable opponent and he had no wish to cross her. "Very well. Mr. Longbottom may leave the school, but Mr. Potter cannot leave except during the summer."

"Why not?" questioned Harry.

"My dear boy, it is not safe for you to be outside of the school. It's in your best interests that you remain where it is safe. Plus, I am your guardian in the magical world and say you cannot leave."

"Guardian? I didn't know I needed one. Are you also the guardian for every other orphan who goes to Hogwarts?" Harry questioned. He wasn't being snarky, he had not heard of the Headmaster taking guardianship of students attending Hogwarts before. Was it the same with Muggleborn students who entered Hogwarts as well? Weren't the Dursleys his guardians? "Who made you my guardian Professor Dumbledore? I thought…"

Before he could continue, Professor Dumbledore spoke. "Your parents made me guardian before they died my boy. I'm sorry I couldn't see you very often, but it was for the best that I stayed away. If you like, you can come to my office and we can have a discussion about some disturbing that you broke it off with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. I'm sure you didn't mean it and the best thing to do is to forgive them and make up. If you don't forgive them then you will end up becoming full of hate and that hate leads to becoming dark. You would be doing your parents a disservice by not forgiving your friends Mr. Potter."

"With all due respect Professor, I don't know what my parents would want as they are dead. If I do not get new glasses then I cannot do my homework, go to class, or compete in the tournament. Weren't you and the other judges saying that if I didn't compete, then I would lose my magic? As for my ex-friends, I wouldn't forgive them if you paid me or threatened me with expulsion. I was assaulted by someone I saw like a sister and my supposed best mate broke my glasses, possibly due to some form of jealousy."

Dumbledore was seething inside though his face appeared calm. "My boy, you are too young to worry about such things as guardians. I only have your best interests at heart."

"Wait a minute! Headmaster, since when did you take over guardianship of Mr. Potter? Orphans tend to have a list of approved guardians lined out by their parents. If they don't have a list of approved guardians, then they become wards of the Ministry until they find a magical family to take the child in. Do you mean to say you left Mr. Potter within the Muggle world?"

Dumbledore was not having a good morning. How did Filius know about the law set in place by the Minister of Magic, Ignatius Tuft, after the combination of Grindlewald's war and World War 2? Harry was also wrong for questioning him. But, as the Headmaster registered Harry's comment about the tournament clicked in his brain, he forced a smile on his face. "Of course, my boy. Wouldn't want you to lose your magic. You may go with Filius and Mr. Longbottom. Have fun." With those parting words, the Headmaster headed back to the staff table.

Harry smiled and stood up. "I'm ready Professor Flitwick."

"Then let's go," said Professor Flitwick cheerfully. Neville stood and walked by Harry's side and past the wards surrounding the school. Each took one of the Professor's arms and they disapparated.


End file.
